They say that giving is better than receiving and this Christmas, local youngster Avery Sampson is the embodiment of that concept.
At just 8 years old, she is already doing so much good in the world, setting a positive example for others and showing that no matter your age, you can always help make a difference in the lives of others.
Rather than spending the holiday season focusing on herself and the gifts she is bound to receive on Christmas Day, this young lady has spent the last several weeks concentrating on making the holiday a special one for other youth in the Pahrump community. With her own love of bicycle riding as her inspiration, she has undertaken a fundraising effort that has allowed her to purchase bikes for children in the valley.
“Avery won the 2021 Miss Nevada Princess title and decided she wanted to help out some families for Christmas,” Scott Sampson, Avery’s father, told the Pahrump Valley Times earlier this week. “She loves to ride her bike and thought that it would be nice to give bikes to kids for Christmas. Especially with everything being closed due to COVID-19, she thought kids being able to get outside to ride a bike and get some exercise would be perfect.”
In her introduction on the GoFundMe account she started to help aid her in her goal, Avery talked about the hardships that families are dealing with in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many struggling just to pay their bills and put food on the table, let alone being able to purchase a high-ticket item such as a bicycle.
“It’s my wish for Christmas this year that my friends, family and local businesses in my community can come together and make Christmas morning special for as many kids as we can. All donations will go to purchasing as many bicycles and safety helmets as possible. Stay stay, stay awesome and don’t forget to be nice to each other,” Avery wrote.
Scott said Avery’s initiative has already exceeded her expectations but she didn’t simply stop when she had reached her original goal of 15 bikes. Instead, she has carried on, fueled by her desire to bring a big smile to the faces of as many local children as she possibly can this Christmas.
“She started with a goal of raising enough money for 15 bikes. We currently have 40, mostly new but some used bikes people have donated. We are still taking donations on her GoFundMe until next week sometime,” Scott stated. “The community has been really amazing in helping her. She has just passed $1,500 on her GoFundMe. Along with some cash donations from family and friends she is at around $1,700. It’s a lot but at $50 to $100 a bike, it goes quickly.”
Scott said at this time, Avery has compiled a list of about 20 families that she will be able to provide with bicycles but she still has another dozen or so on a waiting list and she is hoping that she will be able to fulfill all of those families’ wishes by the time Christmas Day arrives next week.
“Avery and some of the other girls from the Cinderella program will be delivering bikes to families starting this Saturday. Then we will see if more donations come in and try to keep helping families right up until Christmas,” Scott said.
Anyone interested in helping Avery in her endeavor can visit www.GoFundMe.com and search for Christmas Bikes for Kids, organized by Scott and Avery Sampson, or contact Scott through social media at Facebook.com/fearofscott
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com